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LUKE GROTH | Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations

Luke Groth begins his 2nd season as Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations.

Groth comes to Buffalo from the University of South Dakota where he served as the Director of Football Operations since 2012. He was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Coyotes' football program, including team travel, budget oversight, future scheduling, coordination of team meals and meetings, football even management and social media.

Groth worked with Leipold at Wisconsin-Whitewater as Director of Football Operations and assistant to the Athletic Director from 2010-11. The Warhawks won national titles both years.

Prior to his time at UWW, Groth was a graduate assistant and director of football operations at Minnesota State from 2009-10. He has also served as a football operations intern for the Minnesota Vikings and a ticket sales intern for the Kansas City Chiefs.

A native of Lawton, IA, Groth was a three-year letterwinner as an offensive lineman at South Dakota. He graduated from USD with a degree in business administration in 2008 and earned a master's degree in sports management from Minnesota State in 2010.

LEWIS CARALLA | Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Football

Lewis Caralla was tabbed as the new football head strength and conditioning coach prior to the 2018 season. Caralla brings a wealth of experience from programs such as Michigan, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech and most recently Louisiana-Lafayette.

Caralla comes to Buffalo from Louisiana-Lafayette where he spent the last two years as the director of strength and conditioning. Prior to Caralla's arrival at Lousiana-Lafayette, the team finished 4-8. In his first season with the Ragin' Cajuns, the team went to the 2016 New Orleans Bowl.

Caralla was the director of strength and conditioning at North Texas in 2015. Prior to his stint with the Mean Green, Caralla spent three seasons as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Michigan. He also served as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Mississippi State and Georgia Tech.

Following his graduation from Defiance College, where he was an all-conference running back and team most valuable player, Caralla served as an intern strength coach at both Virginia and USF as well as a graduate position at Mississippi State. He earned a master's degree in kinesiology from Mississippi in 2010.

He is certified by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (SCCC), the United States Weightlifting Federation and the American Red Cross.

Caralla and his wife, Lori, have a son, Marshall and a daughter, Ali.

NAJJA JOHNSON | Director of Player Development

Najja Johnson returns to UB as a defensive graduate assistant after a standout career with the Bulls.

Johnson returned to Buffalo after a stint at Marietta High School in Marietta, GA, his high school alma mater. Johnson spent two years on the staff working with the defensive backs and coached Raymond Lester to multiple FBS scholarships before Lester elected to attend Auburn University.

A Jim Thorpe Award Watch Lister at Buffalo, Johnson played safety and cornerback for the Bulls from 2010-13. As a junior, Johnson led the Mid-American Conference in interceptions with five. He was anAll-MAC First Team selection his senior season. He tallied 119 tackles (90 solo) and nine interceptions for his career. His 38 career pass breakups are second-most in Buffalo history while his 11 in 2011 are tied for the most in a single season in school history. He was originally a walk-on at Buffalo before earning a starter's role in 2011.